Cold and Flu

Treating the Flu

If your doctor has told you that you have the flu, you should stay home and follow your doctor’s advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about over-the-counter and prescription medicines. These may relieve your flu symptoms and help you feel better faster.

You can treat flu symptoms with and without medicines. Over-the-counter medicines may relieve some flu symptoms but will not make you less contagious.

Your doctor may prescribe antiviral medications to make your illness milder and prevent serious problems from the flu. If your flu has caused a bacterial infection, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics

If you have kidney disease or stomach problems, check with your doctor before taking any NSAIDS.

Is it safe to take flu medications with other over-the-counter or prescription medicines?

Many over-the-counter medicines contain the same active ingredients. If you take several medicines with the same active ingredient you might be taking more than the recommended dose. This can cause serious health problems. Read all labels carefully.

If you are taking over-the-counter or prescription medicines not related to the flu, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about which cold and flu medicines are safe for you.

If you get the flu, antiviral medicines can make your illness milder and make you feel better faster. They may also prevent serious problems from the flu. Antiviral medicines work best when started within thefirst two days of getting sick.

If you are exposed to the flu, antiviral medicine can keep you from becoming sick. Talk to your doctor if you have been or may be near a person with the flu.

Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections. They are not effective against viral infections like the flu.

Some people have bacterial infections along with or caused by the flu and will need to take antibiotics. Severe or prolonged illness or illness that seems to get better but then gets worse may be a sign of bacterial infection.

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